Spiritual Peace and Comfort. 345 time to learn a Prayer from fome book, that may fitíief} exprefs their necefsities ; or to ufe the Book it felf in Prayer, if they dißrull their memories :' not refolving to flick here, and make it a means of in- dulging their lazinefs and negligence, much lets to reproach and deride thofe that exprefs their defires to God from the prefent fenfe of their own wants ( as fome wickedly do deride fuch : ) but thufe this lawful! help till they are able to do better with- out it then with it, and then to lay it by and not be- fore. The Holy Ghoft is faid, Rota. 8.16. To help our infirmities in Prayer : but how ? i. By teach- ing us what to pray for; not alwayes what matter or words to enlarge our felves by; but what neceffa- ry Graces to pray for. 2. By giving us fighs and Groans unexprefsible ; which is far from givingCo, pious exprefsisons : For Groans and fighs be not words . and if they be Groans that we cannot ex- prefs, it would rather feem to intimate a want of ex- prefsion, then a confiant abounding therein, where the fpirit loth, afsifï ; Though indeed the meaning is, that the Groans are fo deep, that they are paft the exprefsion of our words ; All our fpeech cannot exprefs that deep fenfe that is in our hearts. For the Underfianding bath the advantageof the Affehions herein; All the thoughts of the mind may be ex- preffed to others, but theFeelings and fervent !'afi- ons of the foul can be but very defectively expreffed. Lafily, All have not the fpirit of Prayer in like meafure : nor all that have it in a great meafure at one time, can find it foat pleafure. Defires rife and fall, and thefe earneff Groans be not in every Prayer where the Holy Ghofl Both affift. I believe there is never .,,
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